This charming Chardonnay from the Macon comes from a small grower. Lionel Rhedon-Marin is a recent graduate of the College of Viticulture in the nearby village of Davaye, where Guffens trained. All of their young-vine fruit is sold in bulk to one of the better negociants, who is pleased to have it, since Lionel is such a careful grower. But their old-vine fruit, all over 45 years of age, is kept for the Domaine wine, which is charming and elegant. On the palate this is focused and bright, with a nice spicy note and lovely acidity, as well as some pretty pear notes This is not the super-ripe style that is suddenly popular, but is, instead, a balanced, well-made and wonderfully crisp and mineral driven Macon. Only K&L's direct import makes this price possible. (Keith Wollenberg, K&L Burgundy Buyer)

Product Reviews:

From 45-plus year old Chardonnay vines, this wonderful mineral-driven (limestone), fruit-driven (peach and pear notes) Macon shows distinctive aromas that carries over to a rich, lush set of flavors, with a clean, crisp, refreshing finish. This lovely old vine, estate production Chardonnay Gem from the Macon area of Southern Burgundy will be, according to Eby, one of our house whites for the month. 13.5% ABV [Jim Barr]

Year after year this overachieving bottle is a staff and customer favorite but in a vintage like 2009 it reaches another level. Crisp flavors of ripe baked apples, pear and spice fill the mid-palate yet the wine remains fully dry with an intense finish of citrus and mineral. This amazing bargain has the depth that only old vine fruit (over 45 years) can achieve.

Every year, it seems to sell out earlier and earlier, the secret is out, this is one of the best deals in the store. Lionel Rhedon the owner of this small domaine has a very good reputation as a grower. He sells most of his fruit to the some of the more famous negociants. What he does not sell, all of his old vines (45 years or older), go into his own wine. His fastidiousness in the vineyards is immediately apparent in his wine. This is a very traditional wine: pure fruit, bright acid, and nice minerality. This is not one of the super-Maconais which loss there identity trying to please a California palate. The 2009 vintage could be the best that we have yet from this Domaine. The vintage shines thru with the ripe and pure Chardonnay notes of apples, pear with just a suggestion of something a little more tropical. Surprisingly, this wine is even crisper than the 2008, which was a cooler vintage! This is richer, fresher than previous vintages and is just what you’ll want all summer long.

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Chardonnay

- It's hard to believe that up until about 30 years ago, this extremely popular varietal hid behind the veil of geographical names like Chablis and Puligny-Montrachet. Now grown all over the world and bottled by its varietal name, Chardonnay has achieved a level of branding unlike any other wine. Surprisingly, though, what you get when you buy Chardonnay can differ greatly from country to country and even within one country, depending on the climate where it's grown and how it is vinified and aged. From fresh, crisp and minerally with apple and lemon notes to rich and buttery with tropical fruit overtones, Chardonnay runs the gamut.
In France's Burgundy, Chardonnay is the source of the prized wines of Chablis, Corton-Charlemagne, Mâcon, Meursault and Montrachet. It also the foundation of exceptional Champagne, where it is blended with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier or vinified on its own into Blanc de Blancs. It is also extremely popular in California, and is gaining popularity in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain and South Africa.

Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them. Click for a list of bestselling items from all of France.

Sub-Region:

Burgundy

- The province of eastern France, famous for its red wines produced from Pinot Noir and its whites produced from Chardonnay. (Small of amounts of Gamay and Aligoté are still grown, although these have to be labeled differently.) The most famous part of the region is known as the Côte d'Or (the Golden Slope). It is divided into the Côte de Beaune, south of the town of Beaune (famous principally for its whites), and the Côte de Nuits, North of Beaune (home of the most famous reds). In addition, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais are important wine growing regions, although historically a clear level (or more) below the Côte d'Or. Also include by some are the regions of Chablis and Auxerrois, farther north. View our bestselling Burgundy.